An alternative treatment process for upgrade of petroleum refinery wastewater using electrocoagulation

Abstract

An electrocoagulation treatment process was developed for treatment and upgrade of petroleum refinery effluent (wastewater), instead of the conventional methods, which can consume higher amounts of chemicals and produce larger amounts of sludge. The effect of the operation parameters, such as current density, initial pH, anode material, anode dissolution, energy consumption and electrolysis time, on treatment efficiency was investigated. The experimental results showed that the effluent can be effectively treated under optimal conditions. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) analysis of the effluent, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) coupled with energy dispersive analysis of X-rays (EDAX) of the sludge produced, revealed that the unwanted pollutants can be eliminated. The electrocoagulation treatment process was assessed by using the removal efficiency of chemical oxygen demand (COD), total suspended solids (TSS), and the general physicochemical characteristics of wastewater, and the results showed that the electrocoagulation is an efficient process for recycling of petroleum wastewater; it is faster and provides better quality of treated water than the conventional methods.